EPA Proposes Plan for Interim Action to Clean Up Contaminated Sediment in the Lower Passaic River Study Area of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, New Jersey

 

EPA Proposes Plan for Interim Action to Clean Up Contaminated Sediment in the Lower Passaic River Study Area of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, New Jersey

EPA to hold public meeting on April 27, 2021

NEW YORK (April 14, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a plan to address contaminated sediment in the upper nine miles of the Lower Passaic River Study Area of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site in Essex, Bergen, and Passaic Counties, New Jersey. The Lower Passaic River and the Diamond Alkali site include overburdened communities that are often disproportionately impacted by environmental health risks, and EPA is committed to advancing environmental justice in communities across the nation and, together with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), throughout New Jersey.

The sediment in the Lower Passaic River is severely contaminated with dioxins/furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants from more than a century of industrial activity. The proposed cleanup plan – supported by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - calls for using a combination of cleanup technologies including dredging approximately 387,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. The proposed remedy would be an interim action – a final remedy would be selected after this action has been implemented, as described in more detail below. This proposed interim action complements the cleanup selected in 2016 for the lower eight miles of the Lower Passaic River. That cleanup includes bank-to-bank dredging and capping in that stretch of the river.

“EPA looks forward to advancing work at the site and continuing our engagement with the community as we explain how studies support an adaptive, multiphase approach to addressing contamination in this case,” said Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “This proposed interim action will address highly contaminated sediment located just upriver of the lower eight miles that is an ongoing source of contamination in the target area and acts as a reservoir for potential contaminant migration.”

“The Murphy Administration supports the proposed EPA plan for the cleanup of the upper nine miles of the Passaic River, which will remediate contamination that has persisted for too long and enable the recovery of this important natural resource,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “This cleanup will improve water quality and benefit communities throughout the Passaic River Basin and will help New Jersey to further the promise of environmental justice by remedying a Superfund site that affects overburdened communities along the Passaic River. We thank our EPA colleagues for their leadership and for their partnership in integrating DEP’s technical suggestions into the ultimate design of this remedy.”

The proposed cleanup includes:

• Capping areas of contaminated sediment that have been identified as sources of contamination. Prior to capping, sediment would be dredged to a depth to accommodate the cap so that the potential for flooding is not increased. 
• Additional capping and dredging in areas with the potential for erosion and high concentrations of contaminants in the subsurface.
• Areas identified for remediation would be evaluated to determine if sediments at depth in each area can be dredged so that capping would not be needed.
• Dredged materials would be processed at one or more nearby sediment processing facilities for off-site disposal at licensed disposal facilities.
• Institutional controls such as restrictions on activities in the river would be implemented to protect the cap, and New Jersey’s existing prohibitions on fish and crab consumption would remain in place.
• Monitoring and maintenance of the cap would be required to ensure its stability and integrity in the long term.

EPA will consider public comments received on the proposed cleanup plan and if the proposed cleanup plan becomes final, EPA will pursue agreements with the responsible parties to implement the interim remedy. EPA expects to use an adaptive management approach to sample and gauge the progress of the cleanup toward a final remedy for the Lower Passaic River Study Area, which would include assessing the river to determine if more work is needed to meet the goals of a final remedy for the Lower Passaic River. EPA would propose a final remedy for the entire Lower Passaic River at that time.

The Diamond Alkali Superfund site is divided into Operable Units (OUs). EPA often divides cleanup activities at complex sites into different areas or OUs: The Diamond Alkali Superfund site is currently organized into four OUs.

• OU1 is the location of the former Diamond Alkali pesticide manufacturing plant at 80-120 Lister Avenue, for which an interim remedy for containment was completed in 2001.
• OU2 is the lower 8.3 miles of the Lower Passaic River, from Newark Bay to river mile 8.3, for which EPA selected a remedy in 2016. The estimated $1.38 billion cleanup plan is currently in remedial design under EPA oversight.
• OU3 is the Newark Bay Study Area. EPA is currently overseeing an in-depth investigation of the bay, including the nature and extent of the contamination and the potential risks to human health and the environment from exposure to this contamination, and an evaluation of technologies and alternatives in order to determine how best to clean it up over the long term.
• OU4 is the 17-mile Lower Passaic River Study Area which includes both the lower 8.3 miles of the River and the upper nine miles which is the subject of this proposed plan. This proposed cleanup plan covers the upper nine miles of OU4 in the Lower Passaic River Study Area and is an interim action. A final remedy for OU4 will be proposed and selected in the future.

 

A 30-day public comment period for the proposed plan will occur from April 15, 2021 to May 14, 2021. EPA will host a Virtual Public Meeting on April 27, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. To register for the public meeting, visit https://epa_proposed_plan_lprsa.eventbrite.com. To learn more about the public meeting, contact Shereen Kandil at kandil.shereen@epa.gov or 212-637-4333.

Written comments on the Proposed Plan should be e-mailed or postmarked no later than May 14, 2021 to salkie.diane@epa.gov or Diane Salkie, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, New York 10007-1866

For more information on the site or to review the Proposed Plan, visit:

www.epa.gov/superfund/diamond-alkali

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2.

EPA Issues Record of Decision Related to Combined Sewer Overflow Impacts on the Newtown Creek Superfund Site in New York City

 

EPA Issues Record of Decision Related to Combined Sewer Overflow Impacts on the Newtown Creek Superfund Site in New York City

 

NEW YORK (April 12, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a Record of Decision that evaluates impacts of the current and expected future volume of combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges to the Newtown Creek Superfund Site in New York City. Today’s Record of Decision, which applies to the volume of CSO discharges to Newtown Creek, lays out in detail why EPA has concluded that the city’s Long Term Control Plan to improve the water quality of Newtown Creek is anticipated to be consistent with meeting the needs of the Superfund program.

“EPA’s Record of Decision recognizes the significant reductions in CSO discharges to Newtown Creek that will result from implementation of the Long Term Control Plan, and we have concluded that further volume reductions are not required under the Superfund program,” said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “EPA will continue to closely monitor the site and will implement additional actions to address the impacts of CSO discharges on the creek if needed to fulfill the comprehensive cleanup of the site.”

The Newtown Creek Superfund Site Study Area is comprised of the water and sediment of Newtown Creek, which is located along the border of Brooklyn and Queens. Outside of the Superfund process, the city is under order by New York State to implement a CSO Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) for Newtown Creek, as per the requirements of the Clean Water Act. The LTCP, which was approved by the state in 2018, includes several components such as construction of a CSO storage tunnel to reduce the volume of future CSO discharges to the creek by over 60%. 

EPA evaluated the LTCP in the context of the Superfund site to determine if the volume reductions anticipated under the LTCP are sufficient to meet the needs of the future Superfund cleanup of the Newtown Creek Superfund site. EPA has determined that the CSO volume controls prescribed by the LTCP that the City of New York is under order to implement are sufficient to meet the needs of an eventual Superfund cleanup of the Newtown Creek Superfund Site. EPA will require monitoring of the four major CSOs to confirm the assumptions made in reaching this conclusion remain valid.

 

EPA will determine in the future whether additional CSO-discharge related actions, either in the creek or in the uplands adjacent to the creek, are needed to address the cleanup of the full site.

EPA is also continuing to direct a very detailed investigation of the contamination in the creek and a study of the feasible options to address that contamination.  These studies are being conducted under EPA’s oversight by a consortium of parties that are potentially responsible for the contamination.  The studies are currently projected to be completed in 2023 and are expected to lead to a proposal by EPA of a cleanup plan for the entire creek.

On November 21, 2019, EPA released for public comment the proposed plan regarding this CSO discharge volume decision. During the public comment period, EPA held two public meetings to inform the public of EPA’s preferred remedial alternative and to receive public comments. The public meetings were held on December 9, 2019 in Queens and on December 11, 2019 in Brooklyn. Two requests for extension were granted, and the public comment period ended on February 28, 2020.

To read the EPA’s Record of Decision and to view EPA’s responses to public comments, please visit www.epa.gov/superfund/newtown-creek

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2

EPA Proposes Plan for Next Phase of Cleanup at the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site in Gibbsboro, Lindenwold, and Voorhees, New Jersey

 

EPA Proposes Plan for Next Phase of Cleanup at the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site in Gibbsboro, Lindenwold, and Voorhees, New Jersey

 

NEW YORK (April 1, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a cleanup plan to address waterbodies of the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Site in Gibbsboro, Lindenwold, and Voorhees, New Jersey. The proposed plan calls for the dredging of contaminated sediment, along with excavation and capping of floodplain soil at Silver Lake, Bridgewood Lake, Kirkwood Lake, and Hilliards Creek.

“The cleanup of these waterbodies has long been sought by these communities and we are proud of this proposal,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “The proposed cleanup addresses arsenic and lead contamination that poses serious risks to people, fish and wildlife.”

There are three Sherwin-Williams Superfund sites that are sources of contamination to the waterbodies. The sites are located within the municipalities of Gibbsboro, Voorhees, and Lindenwold, New Jersey. Contamination from past paint manufacturing originates within the area of the Former Manufacturing Plant (Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site), the Route 561 Dump Site, and the United States Avenue Burn Superfund Site. These source areas are being cleaned up under separate actions. Contaminants from these three sites have moved downstream throughout the lakes and creeks within Gibbsboro, Voorhees and Lindenwold.

EPA’s proposed plan calls for the dredging of 128,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from Silver Lake, Bridgewood Lake, Kirkwood Lake, and Hilliards Creek. This plan also includes the construction of a system to temporarily divert streams during the cleanup.

In addition, EPA proposes to remove approximately 42,000 cubic yards of the top two feet of soil located with the floodplain areas and cap contaminated soil below two feet. EPA’s proposed plan provides for treatment, transport and disposal of excavated sediment and soil off-site at a permitted facility, and implementation of institutional controls in the form of deed notices. This plan will be protective of human health and the environment while preserving high-value wetland areas.

Throughout the proposed cleanup, EPA will monitor and further study the cleanup progress to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy and conduct a review of the cleanup every 5 years to ensure its effectiveness. Under the proposed plan, the estimated cost of this cleanup is approximately $90 million.

A 30-day public comment period for the proposed plan will occur from April 1, 2021 to May 3, 2021. EPA will host a Virtual Public Meeting on April 12, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. To register for the public meeting, visit https://epa-sherwin-williams-ou4.eventbrite.com. To learn more about the public meeting, contact Pat Seppi at Seppi.Pat@epa.gov or (646) 369-0068. 

Written comments on the EPA’s proposed plan may be mailed or emailed to Julie Nace, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 19^th Floor, New York, NY 10007, Email: nace.julie@epa.gov

EPA Issues Administrative Order Requiring City to Construct Sewage Retention Tanks for Gowanus Canal Superfund Site Cleanup

 

EPA Issues Administrative Order Requiring City to Construct Sewage Retention Tanks for Gowanus Canal Superfund Site Cleanup

 

NEW YORK (March 30, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the City of New York (city) to construct and operate two Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) retention tanks to control contaminated solids discharges at the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, New York, which is a key component of the Gowanus Canal cleanup. The EPA’s order follows previous orders that EPA issued in 2014 and 2016 to require the city to find a location for and design the two tanks. Controls to reduce CSO discharges and prevent other land-based sources of pollution, such as street runoff, from compromising the cleanup are a critical part of the site’s cleanup plan.

“This order will ensure that EPA’s cleanup efforts will not be undermined by uncontrolled combined sewer overflow discharges that have contributed to the chemical contamination of this waterway and impacted this community for the past century and a half,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “To ensure the integrity of the dredging work, the retention tanks will control New York City’s sewer outfalls over the long-term.”

The administrative order, issued on March 29, 2021, requires the city to construct one 8-million-gallon tank, located at the head of the canal, and one 4-million-gallon tank, located at a New York City Department of Sanitation Salt Lot near the middle of the canal.

The order also requires the city to, among other things:

• Ensure that developers comply with municipal stormwater regulations within the Gowanus area to prevent additional sewer volume from impairing the effectiveness of the CSO tanks;
• Provide treatment for separated stormwater discharges;
• Perform monitoring of sewer solids discharges to ensure protection of the dredging remedy;
• Perform associated maintenance dredging, if determined by EPA to be necessary;
• Construct a bulkhead on City-owned property to prepare for the second phase of dredging work; and
• Adhere to an overall schedule for remaining tank design work and construction.

The 2013 cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site includes dredging to remove contaminated sediment from the bottom of the canal, which has accumulated because of industrial activity and CSO discharges. More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and heavy metals, including mercury, lead, and copper, are present at high levels in the Gowanus Canal sediments. Dredged sediment that contains high levels of liquid tar will be thermally treated at an off-site facility and disposed. The less contaminated dredged sediment will be processed at an off-site facility to transform it into a beneficial use product, such as landfill cover. Certain areas of the native sediment, below the original canal bottom, that contain mobile liquid tar and are too deep to excavate, will be mixed with cement and solidified to prevent the migration of the tar into the water of the canal. Following dredging and solidification of areas of the native sediment, construction of a multilayer cap in dredged areas will isolate and prevent migration of any dissolved chemicals remaining in the deep native sediments.